US1029723A

US1029723A - Electric cigar-lighter.

Info

Publication number: US1029723A
Application number: US58756910A
Authority: US
Inventors: David E Shea
Original assignee: DREW S TINSMAN
Current assignee: DREW S TINSMAN
Priority date: 1910-10-17
Filing date: 1910-10-17
Publication date: 1912-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1929-06-18

Description

D. E. SHEA.

ELEGTRIG OIGAR LIGHTER. APPLICATION FILED 001217, 1910.

029,723, Y Patented "June 18, 1912.

AME.

. v l INVENTOR, wlTNr-:ssEs lyvw@ M BY col-UMIJIA PLANOURAPH Co.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

ATTO R N EY rnviTnn STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. SHEA, 0F WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO DREW S. TINSMAN, 0F WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC cierra-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1912.

Application led October 17, 1910.' Serial No. 587,569.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID E. SHEA, a citizen of the` United States, residing at VilIiamSpOrt, in Vthe county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Electric Cigar-Lighter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in cigar lighters, and its object is to provide a compact portable cigar lighter operable by current as ordinarily supplied from street mains, so that all that is necessary to install the cigar lighter is to introduce a plug furnished with the lighter in an ordinary terminal socket of ani installed system. i

In accordance with the present invention,. the device is of compact and unobtrusive form, having a low center of gravity, so as toresist upsetting, and is provided with a reservoir for a volatile fluid, such as alcohol, and with a torch mechanism adapted to the reservoir and having parts of electrically conducting material capable of carrying a supply o-f the volatile fluid, of which alcohol maybe taken as typical, so that the carrier may be utilized as a bridging means for completing an electric circuit at terminals on the device in a manner to cause vthe production of a spark when the alcohol carrier is moved away from such terminals, whereby the alcohol is ignited and a cigar Vmay be readily lighted from the flame so produced.

The linvent-ion will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that while the showing of the drawings is of an operative structure, the invention is by no means confined to the exact structure shown, but vtheernbodiment of the invention may be in different forms so long as the salient fea-tures are retained.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the cigar lighter. Fig. 2 is a central section therethrough. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the cigar lighter.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a shell 1 constituting the body member of the device, and this shell may have any ornamental conlig'uration whichthe aesthetic tastes of the designer may dictate. In the showing of the drawings, the shell 1 is of approximately bell shape which provides an expanded base, and within such base portion there is lodged a bottom member 2, which latter may be made of met-al, though this 1s not mandatory, but if the'bottoni 2 is of metalv its weight materially contributes to the steadiness of the device, since the center of gravity of the structure is thereby brought very low. In order that the structure may cling more or less firmly to any surface upon which it is placed, and at the same time offer no injury to such surface, there are provided feet 3 of some soft material, such as soft rubber. The end of the shell or casing remote from the bottom member 2 is contracted into a neck 4 open at the end and surrounding this neck is a sleeve 5 of insulating material, such as hard rubber or vulcanized fiber, the shell 1 being usually made of metal. The sleeve 5 is secured to the shell 1 by a screw 6 or otherwise. At one side the sleeve 5 is cut away as shown at 7, and lodged in this cut away portion are the like ends of two strips 8 of conducting material, such as brass, these strips being in spaced parallel relation and to an extent elastic at the free ends.

Within the shell 1 and preferably arranged axially thereto is a tubular member 9 having one end 1() closed and engaging the bottom member 2 to which it is fastened by a screw 1-1. The other, and when the device is in normal operative position, the upper end of the reservoir 9 is formed with an expanding flange 12 bent at the edge into overlapping and embracing relation to outer end of the sleeve 5, las indicated at 13, the

portion of the flange 12 adjacentthe tubular portion of the reservoir 9 forming a funnel for a purpose which will presently appear. Adapted to the reservoir is a stem 14 having at one end a knob 15 so shaped as to rest within the funnel portion of the flange 12, while the end of the stem 14 remote from the knob 15 is formed with or into a helix 16 immediately surrounding the stem for a distance back from its extreme end. The length ofthe stem 14 is such that when the knob. 15 is resting in the funnel portion of the flange 12, the helix 16 is closed to the end 10 of the reservoir 9, and since in practiceV the end 10 constitutes the lower end of the reservoir, the helix 16 when within the reservoir is close to the bottom thereof, so that it will be immersed in a volatile liquid der posited in the reservoir to a suitable depth,

thereby from the reservoir.

such liquid being customarily alcohol, although any other suitable liquid may be used.

lVithin the shell 1 is a sleeve 17 of porcelain orv other suitable refractory insulating material provided about its exterior with a groove, `in which is lodged a coil 18 of resistance wire. The sleeve 17 is in enveloping relation to the outer walls of the reservoir 9 and may rest on the bottom member 2.

There is provided an ordinary coupling plug 19, such as used in electrical systems, such Vplug being adapted to any ordinary wall or bracket socket commonly employed in house installations as terminals of the ordinary electric power circuits provided for buildings and coupled to the street mains. This plug 'has attached thereto a flexible conductor cord 20 having two conductors 21, 22, and this flexible conductor cord enters the shell 1 throughan insulating bushing 23 lodged in one side of the shell. Within the shell Vthe conductor 21 is carriedto and through an opening 24 so located that the conductor` K is readily passed through said opening and` vconnected to one of the brushes 8 by means of a screw 25 which may also serve to fasten the corresponding brush to the sleeve 5. The lother conductor 22 is carried to one end of the coil 18, while the other end of this coil` is connected to a conductor 26 extending through the opening 24 and connected to the other brush 8.

When it is desired to use the cigar lighter, a suitable quantity of alcohol is deposited in the reservoir 9 and the plug 19 is introduced int-0 a suitable terminal socket of the power circuit installed in the building where the cigar lighter Vis to be used. When a person desires to use the device, the stem 14; is withdrawn from the reservoir 9 by grasping the knob 15 and lifting the stem from said 'reservoir, any surplus alcohol being returned to the reservoir by the funnel portion of the flange 12. Because of capillary attraction,

a certain amount of alcohol adheres to the convolutions of the helix 16, and is carried Now the helix 16 is placed in bridging relation to the brushes 8 and by a movement in the direction of the length of these brushes the helix is finally carried away from the ends thereof, thus first completing the circuit and then rupturing the same. The current is kept down to a workable quantity by the re- 't-we'en the brushes V8 and the helix 16 of sufi-` cientintensity to ignite the alcohol carried `thereby, so that there is thus produced a llame from which the cigar may 'be readily lighted. On the return of the helix into the reservoir the flame is extinguished in the same manner as occurs in ordinary cigar lighters.

The device is of very compact form wit-h practically no liability of being upset and may be readily moved from place to place Without danger to polished surfaces or to the glass tops of show cases, and may be put in service by connection with ordinary power circuits, thus avoiding the"use of batteries or other such,unreliable sources of current, the entire structure with the exception of the plug, and conducting cord being readily grasped in one hand and occupies a minimum of space, 'being little if any larger than an ordinary table match holder, while all the working parts with the exception of the plug, conducting'cord, terminals 8 and the knob for the torch are inclosed in the shell 1. The whole structure -is also susceptible of ornamental conguration.

What is claimed is 1. A cigar lighter comprising a body member, a reservoir for ignitible liquid therein, a carrier for ignitible liquid normally housed in the reservo-ir, exposed circuit terminals on the body member, a resistance also housed in the body member in surroundin relation to the reservoir, and electric con uctors including the resistance and connected to the exposed circuit terminals and adapted to be included in a commercial power circuit, the resistance being sutlicient to cut down the power current to permit short circuiting of exposed circuit terminals.

2. A cigar lighter comprising an outer shell terminating at one end in a neck, an insulating sleeve on said neck, spaced cou` tact brushes carried by the neck, a reservoir also carried by the neck and extending into the body member, a torch adapted to said reservoir, and having at one end a handle accessible at the open end of the reservoir, another insulating sleeve within the body member in surrounding relation to the reservoir, a coil of resistance wire on said second named sleeve, a double conducting cord at one end entering the body member, one conductor of the cord being carried through the body member and connected to one of the terminals carried by said body member and the other conductor ofthe cord being connected to one end of the resistance coil and the other end of the resistance coil being connected to the other terminal carried by the body member.

8. A cigar lighter having a body portion with an expanded base, a reservoir axially disposed therein, a bottom member for the expanded base, to which bottom member the corresponding portion of the reservoir is secured, a resistance coilin encirclingrelation to the reservoir and having itsconvolutions in inductive relation, spaced brushes carried In testimony, that I claim the foregoing by the body member exterior thereto, atoreh as my own, I have hereto affixed my signal0 having a conducting end capable of oarryture in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

ing liquid and adapted to be inserted in the reservoir, and conductors at one end leading DAVID E' SHEA' to the terminal brushes of the body member, Witnesses: one of said conductors being connected to a HENRY C. PARSONS, terminal member through the resistance coil. C. A. SCHUG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.